If you ask most Americans to imagine a farm, they will envision a crimson, Old MacDonald-style barn with frolicking pigs snuggling and rolling in mud puddles and grazing cows keeping watch while their calves playfully leap and nuzzle each other. But for many of the 6.5 million pigs used for breeding and 450,000 calves raised for veal in the U.S. each year, this is far from the reality. Instead, they are kept separated in crates so small and narrow they cannot walk or turn around and can hardly lie down for most of their lives. Studies have shown that not only do crates cause immense suffering, but they also have no economic benefit.
New Jerseyans have shown overwhelming support to ban the use of pig gestation crates and veal crates in the state, and now the Legislature is poised to do just that with the bill A-5236/S-3401. These animals can’t wait; this is New Jersey’s chance to normalize compassion over cruelty.
Gestation crates are barred metal cages with bare, slatted floors used to confine breeding pigs for their entire four-month pregnancy. The crates prevent virtually all natural behaviors, exercise, and interaction with other pigs. Unable to take more than a step forward or backward, many suffer from abrasion injuries, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal problems, psychological suffering and digestive issues.
They give birth on a metal floor under artificial lighting; the mothers and their babies will never feel grass and almost hardly see daylight. , This practice leaves highly social and intelligent animals lonely, stressed and traumatized. Mothers are inseminated again almost immediately after giving birth, and the cycle continues for years until they too are slaughtered.
Cattle are another highly social species. Perhaps you’ve seen one of the many videos of mother cows chasing a trailer as their calves are taken away? If not, have a search now — it will break your heart. Mother cows are crucial for calves’ welfare, as they form close bonds with their young and serve as the calves’ main source of behavioral and social learning. Research shows that cows also form close friendships with their peers, like humans. In much of the veal industry, calves are taken away from their mothers days or hours after birth for transport, which is extremely stressful for both. They are then placed in individual veal crates, with no opportunity to form social bonds. Calves raised in poor welfare systems will never drink milk from their mothers, never go outdoors and never play.
Previous attempts to ban failed
Two similar bills to ban crates in New Jersey almost became law until in 2013 and 2014 they reached the desk of Gov. Chris Christie, who promptly vetoed them. This time around the bill has garnered support from half of the Senate majority, 14 co-sponsors in the Assembly and 93% of New Jerseyans, according to polls. Other supporters include a coalition of over 40 organizations, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, over 100 licensed New Jersey veterinarians, and 15 New Jersey-native celebrities including Chelsea Handler and Christina Ricci. Over 40 companies, including New Jersey-based Campbell’s Soup and Pepperidge Farm, have made commitments to eliminate gestation crates from their supply chains. Ten states have already banned gestation crates, and nine have banned veal crates.
The list of opposers is much less extensive. Unsurprisingly, the National Pork Producers Council has actively opposed past versions of the bill. The New Jersey Farm Bureau put in a slip of opposition at the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, and state Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex) has been a lone voice actively expressing opposition in the Legislature.
Gov. Phil Murphy has so far remained silent on the bill, but his track record shows strong support for animal welfare legislation. Local groups are currently awaiting confirmation to meet with the governor to discuss the bill but hope it will be viewed favorably given its strong and broad support in the Legislature and with the public.
The benefits of banning crates extend beyond animal welfare. Crates are often associated with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) which bear a slew of environmental, public health and social-justice impacts. Smelly, unsightly CAFOs pump pollutants such as nitrates into water supplies and particulates into the air, which disproportionately affect the communities nearby. Their cramped conditions and routine use of antibiotics are also a major source of outbreaks of diseases that spread from other species to humans and antibiotic-resistant infections.
It is unknown how many pigs and calves are kept in crates in New Jersey. The number is likely low, as there are few CAFOs in the state. However, banning crates would deter large industrial corporations that use CAFOs from entering the state and overtaking family-owned farms, forcing them into contracts that often create a cycle of debt and set requirements that force compassionate farmers into cruel practices. In addition, banning crates in New Jersey would set a precedent for other states to follow suit and would send a clear warning to corporations that use crates to prepare to implement more humane methods in their operations.
New Jersey’s farming families work hard to provide compassionate food for their neighbors and operate farm stands and markets with dignity. It is time for the Garden State to call out negligent and callous companies for what they are and hold them accountable. Contact Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin to urge them to post A-5236/S-3401, and contact your state representatives by Dec. 6 to show support.